Collapse of the Austrian Empire (EU2)

So I was back on Europa Universalis II -- I distinctly recall at
one time thinking this complicated, before I played Hearts of Iron, but
the game now seems like a leisurely, uncomplicated game, like Risk --
and playing a comfort game, to console myself after the needlessly long
repairs on my iBook. Start as England, play the Hundred Years War until
I could vassalize France, and proceed to absorb and assimilate France
into the English empire.

  I have to note the decentralization effects they've put into the
process of annexing nations really does work, to a limit -- while I could
hold on to Ireland, Milan, and Lombardy I was stuck forever fighting to
defend them, and life got a lot easier when I split them off. Despite it
all I was able to absorb all France except Burgundy, which maintains a
faint existence in the heart of France and a few Netherlands provinces.

  Still the game settled in the 16th century to remarkably peaceful
coexistence among super-states -- my England/France, with vassals Ireland,
Cologne, and Savoy, and ally Scotland; Spain occupying the whole Iberian
peninsula; Venice occupying almost all of Italy; Austria holding most of
southeastern Europe; and Poland holding most of northeastern Europe (and,
somehow, Switzerland). There were a few little states, mostly the
Netherlands and a few German states not assimilated somehow, but all in
all things were frozen for a century plus.

  That's fine for me -- I like to go exploring and colonizing, and
long stretches of European peace are made for that -- but it did seem a
shame I was effectively cut off of any progress in Europe. We couldn't
even get alliances to change effectively, since any alliance between
Great Power and Piddling Little States would expire so far out of synch
with the other alliances they'd have nothing to do but re-create the
fresh-expired alliance.

  But come the mid-17th century, and more stasis in Europe ... I
was expanding my army as safeguard against the English Civil War, If It
Comes, when suddenly Austria got hit by widespread rebellions.

  Before I knew what happened Austria had a Civil war and *every*,
bar none, state that had been assimilated into it declared independence.
Seriously. Serbia, Bavaria, Bohemia, Slovakia, even what was left of
Switzerland that Poland didn't get was suddenly alive and a nation again,
and Austria reduced to a scant three provinces.

  Now *that's* exciting. With Austria knocked out of the majors I
was able to ally with Venice and a few other tiny states, and the map of
Europe is changing again. I've still got a big enough army my allying
with someone tends to suppress whatever war they're in (the enemies will
sue for peace n reasonable terms), but I love having a dynamic equilibium
again.

  The only worrying thing is, I didn't know countries that big
could collapse that suddenly in the game, and I am coming up on the time
of Cromwell ...

--
    Joseph Nebus
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